Biogeography of Ireland : past, present and future

Abstract

The insular nature of Ireland has resulted in its fauna and flora being a unique subset of species present elsewhere in Europe. Knowledge of both the presence and absence of species, and their sometimes differing ecology in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe assists the understanding of the roles of climate, man's activities, and the environmental limitations and colonizing abilities of species in making the world what it is today. Biogeography is a multi-disiplinary science, involving taxonomists, geographers, modellers, oceanographers, environmental scientists, and other specialists drawn from both amateur and professional backgrounds. In this volume, most of these disciplines have been brought together and the effects of future environmental change predicted.